Paradise
导演：Roger Steinmann|
主演：迪·沃伦斯|米基·鲁尼|芭芭拉·卡勒拉|蒂莫西·博顿斯|Theresa Saldana|
年份：(2003)
Singer Patricia Paradise (Dee Wallace Stone) has everything: beauty, fame, success, money... Though her 40th birthday inevitably approaches, she more and more feels desperate to get the only thing missing in her life: a child. Leaving her successful career and Las Vegas forever in order to build her family in a healthy environment was since long prevented by Katherine Hiller (Barbara Carrera), her discoverer and business manager. This spider-woman, secretly connected to the mob, has jealously controlled Patricia's life as well as the one of her husband, casino owner Francis Hiller (Timothy Bottoms). His half-sister's threats to pay back the enormous debts with the mafia has put a lot of pressure at his marriage. One day, Francis mysteriously disappears. The word in Las Vegas is that he is dead. Patricia confides to her good-hearted maid Maria (Theresa Saldana), that she is convinced that her husband already waits for her in 'Shangri-La', the fabulous get-away-paradise where she will fulfill her infinite happiness of a family. Patricia is able to escape Las Vegas, not before having had to overcome the heavily threatening Katherine and a brutal nurse (Lilyan Chauvin) who aimed to to keep her constantly drugged. After hours of searching for her hidden dream place in the Nevada deserts, the taxi driver (Martin Kove) abruptly quits the search and demands that she's paying up immediately. Not having enough money, he angrily attempts to rape her. At this moment of desperation, Patricia's imaginary guardian angel Simon (Mickey Rooney) conveys strength to her and she is able to get away and to hide in a deserted shack. Mysteriously, she can see her wise, grandfather-like angel. He explains that her dream place can be everywhere, even within this rotten shack. But her husband always has prevented her realization of this fact. Still, it might come true, if she would handle her life more genuinely. All of a sudden, Simon vanishes and Francis appears, charmingly succeeds to reverse all her plans. He lures her back to Las Vegas to continue her career. On their way back, they drive through Death Valley. Suddenly, Patricia becomes suspicious that this arrogant man can't be her beloved husband. He indeed is Douglas (Timothy Bottoms), a perfect look-a-like. Completely shocked, she can't take life anymore as all her dreams fall apart. But again, her guardian angel reactivates her will to live. And suddenly, she spots her beloved, wandering over sand dunes and brings the exhausted Patricia to his oasis called 'Shangri-La'... But despite his looks of Francis, he indeed is Henry (Timothy Bottoms), a man with a much better character than Patricia ever could have dreamt of. As a park ranger, he contently lives with his father, Henry Sr. (Mickey Rooney) who's just the earthly version of Simon. Patricia bears a baby-boy. Her hard fought for goal of a harmonic family life seems achieved. Eighteen years of unique happiness passes by. But slowly, their teenage-son Alan (Kristian Horn) got suspicious that Henry isn't his father. Even worse, his influence of a bad Las Vegas obsessed him of Henry having killed his real father Douglas. Henry can't stand these incrimination and passes away. Ashamed, Alan escapes to Las Vegas. Simon calms his protégé that genuine happiness only comes from the inside. Slowly, Patricia regains her joy of life although living in complete isolation. As the years pass by, the aged Patricia gets a visit by...Francis. But does she realize, that this version of Francis, Douglas and Henry is in reality her grown up son Alan (Timothy Bottoms)...? eba Written by roger@roger-steinmann.com
